Pneumatic for automatic piano-players.



H. M. BROD. PNEUMATIC FOR AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1908.

9 1 4, 549 Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

V Fig.4. 1

8 23 I I I I3 nllllh 23 22- 9 H awventoz Q in eooeo JXWW HERBERT M. BROD, OF DIXON, ILtnioIs.

PNEUMATIC FOB AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT M. Bnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dixon, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatics for Automatic Piano-Players; and I dodec'la're thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it-ap pertains to make and use the'same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference -marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My inventi n-has reference to automatic piano players, and relates more particularly to a novel] and improved construction of the pneumatics by which the keys strument are'operated.

On account of the limited amount of space to be occupied by the automatic mechanism, especially when such mechanism is located within the -piano,- it is desirable to have the actuating-'- devices formed in as compact a manner as possible, and the chiefpurposeof my invention is to-produce "a pneumatic or motor which .will occupy. a

- minimum amount of space, and inwhich the parts which controlthe action of thepneumatic are locatedtherein.

The construction, arrangement ande operation of the mechanism used in my dev ce a will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

'2, a bottom-board at, hingeably secured to In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the upper board 2, along the line w-w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of. the plug 22. Fig. t is a plan view of the bracket 8.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

1 represents the pneumatic, which consists primarily of an upper board 2, a diaphragmbox 3, secured to the lower face of the board the box 3, and a bellows 5, uniting said top and bottom boards. i

At the hinge-end of the pneumatic the upper. board 2 1s provided with arecess 6, to

accommodate an air pipe or chamber 7 which 18 in communication with the main v bellows or eiihatfeter of the machine. 'The pipe 7 is common to all of the pneumatics,

except in instruments where such pneumat- Specification of Letters Patent. Applicatiomfileri January 6, 1908. Serial'llo. 409,462.

of the in- I Patented March 9, 1909..

ice are arranged in rows or tiers, in which case one of .such air chambers would be provided for each-tler.

The pneumatic is attached to the pipe 7 by means of a bracketS, having an upper plate 9, secured to the pipe 7 by means of a bolt 10, and a lower plate'll secured to the board 2. by a screw 12. The plate 9 has a transverse slot 13, and theplate 11 is" r0- vided with a similar slot 14.v This not only permits ala'teraladjnstment of the pneu matic with reference to the pipe 7, but each pneumatic 'isindependently connected with the pipe, and can be readily'detached there- .from by loosening the bolt 10 and screw 12, and slipping the bracket 8to: one side. By

revers ng the operationthe pneumaticcan be returned to its former position.

In-the upper part of the diaphragm-box 3 is a compartment .15, communicating with the air-pipe 7 through an opening 16 in the upper board 2 and vent-17 in the" pipe 7.

The opening 16-"isof sufficient length to enable the vent 17 to register therewith throughout a .considerable lateral adjustment'of the pneumatic. The interior of the compartment 15, through a' passage18 and valve-chamber 19 in the board 2, and opening 22 in a valve-seat 21 between the comp artmentv 15 and chamber 19. The upper partof .the valve-chamber 19 is threaded to accommodate a similarly threaded plug 22, having verticaLperforation's 23.

Beneath the plug 22 is a valve 2 1, rovided with a stem 25, the upper-part 0, which has vertical play centrally of the plug 22. The valve 2d'is normal1y supported on the seat 21, closing the,,opening thereinn Beneath the compartment 15 is a recess 26', inwhichis supported a. diaphragm 27 saidrecess communicating with a small pipe or nipple 28 through a passage 29. A small vent 30'0011116Cts the passage 28 with the compartment The pipe 28 is connected by a tube or pipe'with one of the openings in the tracker-board of the device in the-usual manner, such last-named parts not being shown in the drawings herein. To the movable end of the lower board 4 is secured a finger 81, positioned so as to actuate the key, or other sound-producing device of. the instrument, upon the upward movement of the board 4. Y A preferred method of hinging the lower bellows 5 is also in communication with the board to the diaphragm-box is shown in Fig. 1. A hinge 32, which is preferably formed of canvas or similar material, is first secured to the lower face of the box 3 by a ole-at 33, and the hinge is then turned dowm wardly and secured to the lower face ofthe board at. The rubber cloth or other fabric of which the bellows 5 is formedunites the boards 2 and 4, by being fastened to the edges of such boards, a portion of such cloth covering the joint of the hinge, and reinforcing the same. By this construction any danger of the hinge tearing loose at the joint is obviated;

In operation, theexhausting devices are actuated-to form a partial vacuum in the air-chamber 7, the collapse of the bellows 5- being prevented by the valve-24, closing the opening 20. Upon. the opening of the apertu-re in the tracker-board which corresponds with the pipe 28, atmospheric air is admitted through such pipe and the passage 25.) to the recess 26, the pressure of such air raising the diaphragm 27 into the comparb ment if), as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1.

The upward movement of the diaphragm operates to ra se the val ve-stcm 25, lifting the valve24. from the seat 21 and seating it 5 against the lower face of the plug 22, clos-' ing the openings therein. The exhaust mechanism then operates through the passage 18 to cause the collapse of the bellows 5, thawing the board 4: upwardly, and producing the desired musical sound. Upon the opening in the tracker-board being again closedfthe pressure of the air below the diaphragm is relieved through the vent 30, and the diaphragm and valve supported thereby fall to their former'positions. Communication between the air-chamber and bellows is thus cut off again, and outside air admitted to the bellows through the plug causing such bellows to extend. It will be obvious that no outside air can be admitted to the bellows 5 while the air-chamber 1s in communication therewith, by reason of the simultaneous closing of the openings in the plug 22. By reason of the plug 22 being threaded and l'vertically adjustable in the chamber 19, the seating of the valve 24: against such plug may. be hastened or retarded.

It will be seen that my device, including the controlling parts thereof, occupies little more space than the bellows itself has taken up.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device of the class named, an air chamber; a bellows; acentral compartment, within said bellows, communlcatlng with said air-chamber in one direction, and in' the opposite direction with said bellows; substantially as shown and described.

r In a device of the class named, an air:

chamber; a bellows; a central compartment, within said bellows, communicating in' one direction with said air-chamber, and in the opposite direction with the bellows; and

means for interrupting the communication between said compartment and the bellows, substantiallyas described.

3. In a device of the class named, an air-. chamber, a bellows; a central compartment, within said bellows, communicating with said air-chamber in one direction, and in the opposite direction with said bellows; means for interrupting the communication between said compartmentand the bellows;

and means for admitting outsideair .to said bellows, substantially as shown and set forth.

4. In a device of the class named, an airchamber; a bellows; a central compartment, within said bellows, and communicating therewith; means of communication between said compartment and said air-chamber;

means for normally closing the communication between said compartment and said bellows; and means for automatically opening said communication, substantially as shown and for the purpose named.

5. In a device of the class named, an airchamber; a bellows; a central-compartment, within said bellows, and communicating therewith; means of communication between said compartment and said air-chamber;

means for supplying outside air to said belv tween said compartment and valve-chamber;

a passage, connecting said valve-chamber with said bellows; and means for suitably actuating said valve, to open the communication between said compartment and the valve-chamber, and simultaneously shut off the supply to said valve-chamber of outside --air, substantially as shown and set forth.

7. A device of the class named, comprising an air chamber a bellows; a compartment, located within said bellows, and adapted to communicate with said air-cham ber; a valve-chamber, communicating with said compartment, and provided with an inlet for outside air; a valve, normally closing the communication between said compartment and the valve-chamber, and adapted diaphragm, adapted suitably operating said diaphragm,

to simultaneously open said communication inlet for admission of outside and .close the air to the valve-chamber; a passage, connecting said valve-chamber with the bellows; a to actuate said valve, to open and close the same; and meansfor substantially as shown and for the purpose men: tioned. a

8. A device of the'ciass named, gcomprising an upper board 2; a diaphragm-box 3,

secured to thelower face thereof; a lower board 4, hingeably attached to the box 3; and a. bellows 5., uniting the boards 2 and 4; sub:- stantially as described. r Y

, 9. device of the class named, compris ring an air chamber an upper board 2;"a diaphragm-box 3, thereof; a lower board 4, hingeably attached to the box 3', a bellows 5, unitin the boards 2 and 4; and means for removab y attaching the board 2 to the air-chamber, substantially as shown and for the urpose mentioned.

10. In a device of the class named, the combination with, an air-chamber ofan upper board 2, adapted to be attached thereto,

' and provided with a valve-chamber 19and v with a passage 18;- a diaphragm-box 3, secured to the lower face of the board 2, and'provided withva compartment 15, communicating with said valve-chamber, and also communicating'with said air-chamber; a lower-board 4, hingeabl secured to the'box' 3, and provided air-chamber, and

chamber; a cured to' the box fin er 31; a bellows M15 secured to the lower face ture, inpresence of two witnesses.

nger 31; and a bellows 5, uniting the boards 2 and substantially as shown and described. a

11. In a device of the class named, the combination-with an air-chamber of an upper board 2, adapted to be. attached to said provided with a valvechamber 19 and passage 18; a diaphragmbox 3, secured to the lower face of the board 2, and provided with a com artment 15, communicating with said va ve-chamber, and-adapted to be connected with said airlower board 4, hingeably se- 3, and provided with a 5, uniting the boards 2 4; aperforated plug 22, supported in the upper part of the chamber 19, so as to be vertlcallyv adjustable therein; a valve 24, in the valvechamber 19, normally closing the communication between said valve-chamber and the compartment 15, and adapted to open such communication and simultaneously close the openings in the plug 22; a diphragm 27, in the bottom of the compartmerit, 15, adapted to actuate the valve 24; and means for introducing'out side air be neath said diaphragm, substantially as shown and for the purpose named.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signa- HERBERT M. BROD.

' Witnessesi W. N. HASKELL, T. M. FARLEY. 

